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Abstract:

In a vehicle, e.g., a hybrid vehicle, having an electrical device, which
has an inadmissibly high voltage for being touched by a person, a
signaling sensor configured to respond in the event of an accident is
connected to a warning device for signaling the voltage level.

Claims:

1-6. (canceled)

7. A system for providing a warning against touching of a vehicle
containing an electrical device having a dangerous high voltage level,
comprising: a signaling sensor configured to provide a signal in the
event of an accident involving the vehicle; and a warning device
connected to the signaling sensor, wherein the warning device is
configured to provide a warning signal regarding the dangerous high
voltage level.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the signaling sensor has an
acceleration sensor.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the signaling sensor has an
air bag sensor.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the signaling sensor is an
element of an air bag controller.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the warning device is
configured to output at least one of a visual, acoustic, and haptic
signal as the warning signal.

12. A method for providing a warning against touching of a vehicle
containing an electrical device having a dangerous high voltage level,
comprising: providing, using a signaling sensor, a signal in the event of
an accident involving the vehicle; and providing, using a warning device
connected to the signaling sensor, a warning signal regarding the
dangerous high voltage level if an accident involving the vehicle has
been signaled by the signaling sensor.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a device and a method for
providing a warning in a vehicle, in particular a hybrid vehicle, having
an electrical device, which has an inadmissibly high voltage for being
touched by a person.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Vehicles are known in the related art, in particular electric or
hybrid vehicles, which have electrical devices conducting an inadmissibly
high voltage for being touched by a person. Electrical devices of this
type are known, for example, as high-voltage systems, i.e., such devices
that have a voltage over 60 V DC or 26 V AC, so that they are considered
dangerous according to the definition of ISO 6469. Such high voltages
are, however, required in such devices in order to keep the current
intensity necessary for a certain required performance low, and thus to
avoid unnecessarily large conductor cross sections and thus an
unnecessarily high weight.

[0005] Persons are protected against indirect contact, in particular in
cases of fault, with such parts under high voltage by additional basic
insulation, additional covers, and an electrical separation of the
high-voltage systems from the low-voltage systems, in particular vehicle
electrical systems. Furthermore, periodic or continuous insulation
monitoring and error current monitoring are used, such high-voltage
systems being turned off as additional functional measures. In the case
of electrical separation of a high-voltage system and a low-voltage
system, there is no risk due to indirect contact until two insulation
faults occur, when, for example a housing is at high voltage plus due to
a fault and the body is at high voltage minus due to a second fault. The
relevant standard requires in this case that the power in the
high-voltage system be reduced within two seconds, for example by
disconnecting the high-voltage battery and discharging the temporary
energy storage. A plug-in device for contacting the high-voltage module
of a hybrid vehicle and a high-voltage module of a hybrid vehicle are
known from published German patent application document DE 10 2006 016
137.8; they achieve voltage isolation with the aid of a control contact
in the plug-in device if a fault occurs.

[0006] It is disadvantageous here that appropriate isolation of the
plug-in device, in particular of the control contact, and the function of
other, above-described functional measures do not function under
unfavorable conditions in the event of an accident, since, for example
jamming or damage of a type has occurred that functional elements
providing this protection become non-operational. Under unfavorable
conditions, it is possible in such cases that the functional measures for
reducing the power in the high-voltage system cannot be implemented and
that, at the same time, a double insulation fault exists. In such cases,
persons, in particular emergency service people, are exposed to risk in
the event of contact with the vehicle body due to the high voltage of the
vehicle's electrical device. Such a risk is not recognizable from the
outside.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to protect persons, in
particular emergency service people, via warnings recognizable from the
outside, from damage due to contact with faulty electrical
devices/high-voltage systems of vehicles affected by damage or an
accident.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] For this purpose, a vehicle, in particular a hybrid vehicle, having
an electrical device is proposed, the electrical device having an
inadmissibly high voltage for being touched by a person, it being
provided that this vehicle has a signaling sensor which responds in the
event of an accident, a warning device being connected to the signaling
sensor for signaling the voltage level. Consequently, if the vehicle
suffers an accident, the signaling sensor responds, whereby the connected
warning device signals the voltage level. Any sensors that detect
constellations typical for an accident which do not occur during normal
driving operation of the vehicle may be used as signaling sensors.

[0009] In one specific embodiment, the signaling sensor has an
acceleration sensor. The signaling sensor itself may be formed as a
module of a plurality of sensors, in particular of a plurality of
different sensors. It preferably has an acceleration sensor which tests
for accelerations that are unusual during normal driving operation,
namely acceleration values and acceleration directions. It sensibly tests
for accelerations that may be regarded as sufficient conditions for an
accident.

[0010] The signaling sensor preferably has an air bag sensor. Air bag
sensors are used in modern automobiles anyway and may be easily connected
to the warning device or associated with or integrated into the signaling
sensor.

[0011] Particularly advantageously it is provided that the signaling
sensor is an element of an air bag controller. The signaling sensor is
therefore integrated into the air bag controller, rather than vice-versa,
sensors of the air bag controller or air bag sensors being integrated
into the signaling sensor. The signaling sensor is therefore associated
with the air bag controller, preferably integrated therein, and uses the
air bag controller for recognizing and evaluating parameters typical for
an accident.

[0012] The warning device preferably outputs a visual, acoustic, and/or
haptic signal. Visual signals include, for example, blinking or regular
light signals from or on existing or specially provided visual signaling
devices. Acoustic signals are signals to be perceived by hearing, which
are emitted in particular via signaling devices existing in the vehicle,
for example horns or acoustic transducers specifically provided for this
purpose and which have the advantage of omnidirectionality over visual
signals by not requiring the attention of approaching persons. Haptic
signals, in particular vibrating signals or similar signals, perceivable
via the sense of touch may be considered, for example signals which may
be output by an eccentric device. In particular, the output of plain text
messages, provided especially in the case of visual signals, or messages
in the form of symbols, for example flashing lightning pictograms as they
are generally known and point to high voltage in a generally
understandable manner.

[0013] Furthermore, a method is proposed for warning against an
inadmissibly high electric voltage in a vehicle, in particular a hybrid
vehicle, preferably as described in the above specific embodiments, the
vehicle having an electrical device which has an inadmissibly high
voltage level for being touched by a person. It is provided here that in
the event of an accident, it is sensed and a warning message is output
warning against the inadmissibly high voltage. Sensing preferably occurs,
as apparent from the above-described exemplary embodiments, and results
in the output of the warning message, making approaching persons, in
particular emergency service people, aware of the danger of a high
electric voltage and prompting them to take appropriate protective
measures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 shows a vehicle having a signaling sensor and a warning
device for warning against inadmissibly high voltage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015]FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1, namely a hybrid vehicle 2, having an
electrical device 3, which includes a high-voltage battery 4 for driving
an electric motor 5 of hybrid vehicle 2. Vehicle 1 is in an emergency
situation after an accident, in which insulation faults of multiple types
may occur due to mechanical damage 6 and functional devices for ensuring
electrical safety may have become non-operational. Vehicle 1 has a
signaling sensor 7, having at least one acceleration sensor 21 and an air
bag sensor 8 and is part of an air bag controller 9. Air bag controller 9
includes an evaluation and computing device, which tests
accident-specific data delivered by air bag sensor 8 for
accident-specific accelerations, in particular transverse accelerations
and acceleration values and vectors that do not occur during normal
driving operation and which may constitute a sufficient condition for an
accident event. Signaling sensor 7 has sensed the accident and outputs
appropriate warning signals 11 via a warning device 10, which is
connected to signaling sensor 7 and air bag controller 9, namely via
optical devices 12 of vehicle 1, light signals as visual signals 15, for
example blinker 13 and headlight 14, pulsed in a certain clock
pulse/measure and via alarm signals from a horn (not shown) as acoustic
signals 16, which have the advantage of omnidirectionality and require no
targeted attention. Furthermore, a warning message 11 as a visual signal
15 may be output in pictogram form 18 via a pictogram output device 20,
which is visible in a front windshield 17 of vehicle 1, for example as a
high-voltage lightning pictogram 19. In this way, approaching personnel,
in particular emergency service people, are sufficiently warned against
high voltage which is possibly applied to parts of a body 20 of vehicle
1.

Patent applications by Andreas Heyl, Ludwigsburg DE

Patent applications by Bernd Doerr, Wallduern DE

Patent applications by Daniel Damm, Ludwigsburg DE

Patent applications by Roland Schleser, Saarbruecken DE

Patent applications in class Of collision or contact with external object

Patent applications in all subclasses Of collision or contact with external object